Heat exchangers such as radiators having one or more rows of flat tubes with cooling fins forming a core between two collecting tanks or headers are known, for example, from EP 693 617 B1 or DE 43 28 448 C2. Radiators are so-called cross-flow radiators, and are often used in passenger cars. Such radiators generally have soldered tubes and fins in the core, with the core commonly having side plates on opposite sides between the headers (i.e., with the side plates extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the flat tubes). In aluminum cores, the side plates are generally also made from an aluminum sheet, which sheet may be variously deformed depending upon the design, and are generally soldered to the cooling fins on the outer sides of the core (i.e., the fins on the outer side of the end flat tubes). Such side plates not only protect the fins on the outer side, but reinforce the radiator by adding strength, and assist in mounting the radiator as desired (e.g., in a vehicle). Of course, the side plates also have an effect on the manufacturing cost of the radiator, and on the weight of the radiator.
Radiators are also known in which at least one lower or upper separated tube of a core functions as a vent tube or intake tube. However, such separated tubes are not fully available at least for operational heat exchange. DE 43 28 448 has proposed a core structure having a connection line lying on the bottom which includes part of the flat tubes of the core, where filling of the circuit is produced via this connection line. However, a check valve is required in that proposed core structure in order to separate the collecting tank on the pressure side from the collecting tank on the intake side to achieve uniform flow through all the flat tubes during operation.
In heavy vehicles and utility vehicles, a separately positioned hose line or the like is generally used to fill the cooling loop, with the hose line connected to the equalization vessel incorporated in the cooling loop.
The present invention is directed toward improving upon the above types of radiators.